Jet lighter



Apr 20, 1954 H. M. wAssEM ET AL JET LIGHTER Filed May 19, 1949 HUNWIIH lll .3 I "mi" l" An Il" FIG. 2

O N N \\\\\\\-O Patented Apr. 20, 1954 UNITED QFFCE JET LIGHTER Howard Ivi. Wassern, New Philadelphia, and Joseph J. Robinson, Jr., Dover, Ohio 1 claim. 1

Our invention relates to portable lighting devices and in particular to small jet lighters which can be carried in a pocket.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a jet lighter which has a replaceable pressurized fuel container.

Another object of our invention is to provide a jet lighter with an adjustable valve operable to release fuel at a desired rate to provide a flame of desired size.

Another object of our invention is to provide a Wickless jet lighter having a pressurized fuel container with an automatic valve operable by the cap of the lighter casing to release fuel when the cap is opened.

Another object of our invention is to provide an improved jet lighter which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction With the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vieW in vertical cross-section of the preferred form of our lighter as constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a view taken along the lines 2-42 of Figure 1, showing the top of our lighter;

Figure 3 is the lighter as illustrated in Figure 1 with the cap of the casing open for lighting;

and

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View of a modified valve head which may be used in our` lighter.

The preferred embodiment of our jet lighter is illustrated herein as comprising generally a valve head lil which supports a casing II. A cap I2 is hinged or otherwise attached to this casing II and cooperates` therewith to completely enclose the Valve head IU. We have provided a pressurized fuel container I 3 for supplying fuel for our jet lighter. This pressurized fuel container I3 is preferably of a replaceable type and has a neck Il! With a puncturable closure member I5 therein.

rlhe valve head lil has a socket I5 therein for receiving the neck I l of the fuel container I3. In the bottom of this socket I6 is a gasket Il which engages the neck it to form a seal between the neck I4 of the pressurized fuel container I3 and the valve head It. This gasket I7 extends about the peripheral edge of the neck and about the puncturable closure member I5, which is punctured to form an opening for releasing fuel from the pressurized fuel container I3. The casing II has a door I 8 on the bottom end thereof to provide means for inserting the fuel container and the casing with the neck I l entering the socket IS. A small screw IS is threaded through the door I8 and abuts against the container I3 to force the neck of the container into the socket I and to hold the container I3 securely against the valve head I0. We have provided a small puncture pin 29 carried by the valve head I0 and extending into the socket i6 "to-puncture the cl-osure member i5 as the neck I4 of the fuel container I 3 is inserted in the socket I6 and against the gasket Il.

The valve head I is also provided with a hole 25 in one side thereof. This hole 25 defines a side Wall 2S and a bottom Wall 2l. In thepreferred embodiment of our invention., we have found it most economical to construct the valve head from cylindrical bar stock with the socket I5 in one end thereof and the hole 25 in the other end thereof. However, it is understood that other shapes and designs may be used Without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. The bottom Wall 2l is provided With an annular recess 28 with the outside diameter of the annular recess 2S being less than the diameter of the hole 25. This difference in diameters provides a peripheral surface portion of the bottom Wall extending about the annular recess 28 and dening a shoulder 29.

A duct 3G extends through the bottom wall 2 and opens into the hole 25 and Within the annular recess 2g. This duct 30 and the annular recess 2S are designed to provide an annular valve seat 3l on the bottom Wall 27 and between the annular recess 28 and the duct 3. The duct 36 extends into communication with the socket I6 to conduct fuel from the pressurized fuel container I3, past the annular valve seat 3l and into the annular recess 2t. A jet opening 32 extends from this annular recess 23 to the outside of the valve head iQ to conduct fuel to atmosphere. The socket I6 of the valve head is disposed Within the casing I i, whereas the side wall 25 and the bottom wall 2l With the Valve seat 3| and the jet opening 32 are all disposed externally of the casing I i.

A valve wafer 365 having a peripheral support portion 35 is held in the hole 25 with the peripheral support portion 35 abutting the shoulder 2S. A threaded sleeve 35 is threaded into the hole 25 and against the peripheral support portion 35 of the valve wafer 3d to hold the Wafer against the shoulder 29. A plunger 37 is abuttable against the Wafer 34 and is movable axial- 1y to urge the Wafer 34 against the valve seat 3l aevaees to close the duct 39 and thereby prevent fuel escaping from the fuel container I3 and also to hold the wafer 34- a predetermined distance from the valve seat 3| to permit metering of the fuel to obtain the flame desired. This plunger 3l extends through an adjustment nut 33, which is adjustably threadable into the sleeve 36 to control the axial movementJ of the plunger 37 and thereby yprovide the jet lighter with an adjustable valve operable to release fuel at a desired rate to provide a name of a desired size or length.

In Figure 1 of our drawing, we illustrate the plunger 31 holding the valve wafer 34 against the valve seat SI. A spring member 39 carried by the cap I2 abuts the plunger 31 and urges it against the wafer. In Figure 3 of our drawing, we illustrate the lighter with the .cap I2 hingedly open from the casing II. In this open position, the pressure of the spring member 29 .against the plunger 3l has been released and the valve wafer 34 has moved away from the valve seat 3l. Thus, in Figure 3 with the valve open, fuel from the pressurized fuel container I3 travels through the duct 39 between the valve seat and valve wafer and into the annular recess 23 and through M the jet .opening 32 to atmosphere.

,An ordinary conventional sparking device y10, comprising a flint GI and striking Wheel 4.2, is supported by the casing I.I and positioned to project sparks into the path of fuel jetting into atmosphere. In Figure 2 Aof our drawing, we best illustrate that the sparks engage the fuel after it has .been jetted from the valve head I9 through the jet opening 32. By providing a short distance between the end of the jet opening 92 and the position at which the sparks engage the fuel, air has .a chance to mix with the fuel.

We have found fuel of the butane nature and characteristics to be best suited for our jet lighter. This type of fuel may be liquefied and inserted in the fuel container I3 in liquid state. When the fuel container I3 having a liquid b'utane therein is inserted in the lighter and punetured, the liquid butane will slowly turn to a gaseous butane which will jet from the lighter under its own pressure.

In Figure 4 of our drawing, we illustrate a modification of the valve head I0, wherein the socket I6 is provided with threads 59 to permit the neck I of the container I3 to be threaded l into the valve head I9. In this instance, we have also used a tubular puncture pin 5I for piercing the closure member i5 of the fuel container i3. This tubular puncture 5I is aligned with the duct 30 whereby the duct 30 may be said toextend through the puncture pin 5I and directly into .the fluid container i3. We have also omitted the nut 38 in this modined valve head. A member 52 having an opening 53 extending therethrough and a recess 54 in the bottom side thereof is threaded into the hole in the valve head I9. rihe plunger 37 extends through this opening 53. The member 52 thus serves the dual purpose of holding the valve Wafer 34 against the shoulder 29, as well as holding the plunger 37 in position for operating the wafer 39. Operation of the structure illustrated in Figure 4 is substantially the same as that of the structure illustrated in the preferred embodiment of our invention as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Although our invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of parn ticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as |hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

A portable lighting device comprising, an enclosure case for holding a pressurized fuel container, said case having a top wall, a valve head carried by said top wall and extending therethrough, said valve head having a socket therein residing within said case for receiving the neck of a fuel container and having seal means for cooperating with the neck oi a fuel container to form a seal about said opening, means within said case to hold the neck of a fuel container forced into gas tight sealing relationship with said socket and seai means, said valve head having a recess dei-ined by a peripherally closed side wali and a bottom 1wall, valve head having a rst opening extending from the bottom wall to said socket and communicating with said fuel container, a valve seat about said first opening, said valve head having a second opening extending from said recess to the outside thereof and defining a jet opening, said valve seat separating the first opening from the second opening, a valve wafer-like member seatable against said valve seat and controlling the flow of fuel from saidfirst opening to said second opening, a sleeve tted in said side wall and peripherally holding said wafer-like member against the bottom wall, a plunger abuttable against the wafer-like member to move the wafer-like member against the valve seat, an adjustment member slidably supporting said plunger, said adjustment member adiustably tted in said sleeve and adjustably movable relative to the valve seat to regulate the distance of movement of the plunger and the wafer-like member from the valve seat and thereby meter the flew of fuel through the valve, a lid cap for said .case tted to cover over said top wall and valve head, and contact means carried by said lid positioned to contact said plunger upon closing the lid upon the case and thereby force the plunger to close olf said valve seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 653,417 Idris July 10, 1900 1,742,605 Lemoine Jan. 7, 1930 1,757,231 Battey May 15, 1930 1,794,185 Lemoine Feb. 24, 1931 1,895,032 Fisher Jan. 24, 1933 1,920,165 Andvig Aug. 1, 1933 2,016,113 Lambert Oct. l, 1935A 2,209,956 Chase Aug, 6, 1949 2,236,253 Testori Mar. 25, 1941 2,480,317 Bowers Aug. 30, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,184 Great Britain of 1912 723,190 France Jan. 12, 1932 923,219 France Feb. 17, 1947 

